GARBUTT, TOWNSVILLE – A Townsville mother faced her worst nightmare Monday afternoon when a group of thieves sped off with her family utility vehicle while her two-month-old daughter was still strapped inside the back seat.
The Driveway Abduction
Sarah Hill, 32, was standing in the driveway of her Garbutt home tidying out her black Isuzu D-Max. Within seconds, a coordinated group of thieves—who appeared to be lying in wait—jumped into the vehicle and accelerated away with Hill’s infant daughter, Cali, asleep inside.
Home security footage captured Hill desperately chasing the vehicle on foot as it pulled away from the property.
A Shocking Twist on the Footpath
In a stunning turn of events, the thieves looped back to the street just minutes later. The group removed Cali—still securely buckled into her car seat—and placed her down on the footpath.
Before driving away a second time, the thieves handed Hill her phone. When Hill demanded to know how they could commit such an act, one occupant coldly replied that they were simply “bad guys.”
Paramedics arrived shortly after to examine the infant. Fortunately, Cali slept through the entire ordeal and was found completely unharmed.
City-Wide Crime Spree Ends in Arrests
Queensland Police confirmed the incident was part of a larger, coordinated vehicle theft spree cutting across Townsville. Authorities deployed the POLAIR helicopter unit and used tire-deflation devices to track the group.
The stolen Isuzu was later recovered in a car park on Charters Towers Road, parked near a stolen white Ford Ranger that had been set ablaze.
Following a rapid investigation, regional police arrested eight teenagers and two adults, ranging in age from 14 to 21. Authorities have filed 19 charges related to seven stolen vehicles, with two suspects directly linked to the Garbutt driveway theft. Forensic investigations remain ongoing.
